Safety device for fountain pens and the like



March I6, 1937. J. F. BEACH SAFETY DEVICE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 4, 1936 www Patented Mar. 16, i937 orties SAFETYDEVICE Foa FOUNTAIN PENS YAND THE LIKE Joseph F. Beach, Washington, D. C.

Application August 4, 1936, serial No. 94,248

w3 Claims. (Cl. 24--12) The purpose of the present invention is to provideasafety device to prevent loss of fountain pens, pencils and'sirnilar articles, and to guard the points of pins or other means by whichy the pens` or pencils are secured in the owners pocket or upon his clothing.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description which follows.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which is made a part hereof and on which similarv reference characters denote the same parts thruout,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the pen and the safety device with the latter detached from the pen,

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the pen, partly in section, showing the safety device in locked position,

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detail View of the pin, and Figure 5 is a modified form of pin and safety I catch.

Devices now in use for holding fountain pens and pencilsin the owners pocket or upon his 'clothing are not so reliable as to insure against loss of the pen or pencil. Most of such devices have means engaging frictionally with the rim of the pocket and the degree of security is dependent upon the tension of a safety spring clip which holds the edge of the Vpocket against the pen barrel or against the pencil. As soon as these clips become slightly bent they no longer function properly.

My device provides a pin securely fastened to the pen or pencil, which pin is positively locked 35 upon the clothing of the wearer. The pen cannot, therefore, be easily accidentally detached from the clothing or from the pocket. In the drawing, the fountain pen is provided with a cap lil, which is screw threaded, by means not shown, upon the barrel of the pen or held thereon by other suitable means. The upper end of the cap is provided with a head I I having a screw threaded extension I`I entering the end of the cap I5. A ring or eye portion I2 of a pin I3 is held between the end of the cap I0 and the head II.

A safety bar I4 has one end chambered at I5 and has one side provided with a longitudinal also provided with radial holes in which are `conned'balls II adapted to engage with the tapered portion ii of the chamber and be urged inwardly into engagement with the end ofthe pin I3. The plunger is urged inwardly by a spring 2U having its outer end engaging a turned in portion of the bar casing which provides a seat I8. The inner end of the spring engages a shoulder portion on the inner end of the plunger 2l. A ball end 22 on the outer end of the plunger provides means for manually retracting the plunger.

The operation of my device should be obvious from the description given. The pen is positioned in the pocket as shown with the pin I3 extending thru the pocket portion P. The bar I4 is secured on the end of the pin I3 and the balls Il are urged into gripping engagement under action of the spring 20.

' While I have shown the pin as secured between the end of the cap I5 and the head I I, it is to be understood that this showing is for the purpose of illustration only and does not limit the inventionin this respect. If the pen is long, for example, it may be found advisable to have the pin fastened near the center of the barrel. Under some circumstances it may be found feasible to have the ring portion I2 secured between the inner end of the cap and a shoulder portion on the 'end of the barrel, where the cap is screwed upon the barrel.

In Figure 5 is shown a modified form of safety clip or catch. In this form the cap 25 has a head 26 screwed upon it and clamping the ring portion 21 of the pin 28 between the head and the end of the cap. A ring 29 having a hook portion 3D is secured in any suitable way upon the cap 25. In order to give additional spring to the pin it is provided with a loop portion 3|.

This form of safety catch is intended for use with a pen by having the pin portion 28 pass from the inside of the pocket and then return to the inside of the pocket when it is secured by the catch portion 30. y

In both of the forms, as will be apparent, the pin is secured upon the pen or pencil and then is secured to the clothing in such a way that A What I claim is:

1. A safety device for preventing loss of a pen or pencil comprising a pin having a loop at one end adapted to receive the body portion of the pen or pencil and a point on the other, said point portion being bent at right angle to the plane of the loop, a bar having a longitudinal groove extending from one end to approximately its center, the other end of the bar being chambered, said chambered portion communicating with the end of the groove thru a restricted opening, a plunger positioned in the chamber at one end of the bar said plunger and the bottom of said chamber adjacent the restriction being tapered correspondingly, a pair of frictional balls seated in said chamber and movable radially by said plunger, a spring in engagement with said plunger and urging the plunger inwardly, the outer end of the chamber being turned in to form a seat for the outer end of the said spring.

2. In combination a pin and a holder bar and guard comprising a bar having a longitudinal groove extending from one end to approximately its center, the other end of the bar being chambered, said chambered portion communicating with the end of the groove, a plunger in said chamber, a spring engaging said plunger to urge it inwardly, means on said plunger engageable with the walls of the chamber and with the said pin to hold the latter frictionally Within the plunger.

3. In combination a pin and a holding bar and guard, the pin being bent substantially at a right angle adjacent its center and having a head portion, the bar having a longitudinal groove extending from one end to approximately lts center, the other end of the bar being chambered, said chambered portion communicating with the end of the groove, a plunger in said chamber, a spring engaging said plunger to urge it inwardly, means on said plunger engageable with the Walls of the chamber and with the said pin to hold the latter frictionally Within the plunger.

JOSEPH F. BEACH. 

